Electronics cabinet with liquid cooling system for backup power fuel cell

Abstract

A fuel cell cabinet liquid cooling system is provided. The fuel cell cabinet liquid cooling system includes a fuel cell, a liquid cooling system for dissipating heat generated by the fuel cell, and a controller that controls the liquid cooling system for maintaining a predetermined temperature range of a first cooling liquid of the fuel cell.

1. A cabinet comprising:
 electronic equipment housed within said cabinet, wherein said electronic equipment is for connection to subscriber lines or provider lines; and 
 a fuel cell power backup system for providing backup power to said electronic equipment in the case of a power failure, wherein said fuel cell power backup system is housed within said cabinet and wherein said fuel cell power backup system includes:
 a fuel cell disposed inside said cabinet for generating the backup power; 
 a liquid cooling system for dissipating heat generated by said fuel cell; and 
 a controller that controls said liquid cooling system for maintaining a predetermined temperature range of a first cooling liquid of said fuel cell, wherein said liquid cooling system is a single loop liquid cooling system including: 
 
 a liquid-to-air heat exchanger that receives said first cooling liquid from said fuel cell and dissipates heat from said first cooling liquid to an outside environment of said cabinet; and 
 a pump that circulates said first cooling liquid between said fuel cell and said liquid-to-air heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
       2. The cabinet according to  claim 1 , wherein said pump includes a plurality of redundant pumps. 
     
     
       3. The cabinet according to  claim 1 , wherein said controller selectively turns said liquid-to-air heat exchanger and said pump ON and OFF based on one or more of a temperature of said first cooling liquid, a temperature of an outside environment, and a number of fuel cells. 
     
     
       4. The cabinet according to  claim 1 , wherein said cabinet is mounted to a concrete pad. 
     
     
       5. The cabinet according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a check valve that limits flow of said first cooling liquid to a single direction. 
 
     
     
       6. The cabinet according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 at least one manifold that couples said plurality of redundant pumps. 
 
     
     
       7. The cabinet according to  claim 1 , wherein said liquid cooling system includes a deionizer bypass line that maintains a predetermined resistance level of said first cooling liquid. 
     
     
       8. The cabinet according to  claim 1 , wherein said liquid cooling system includes an overflow reservoir. 
     
     
       9. The cabinet according to  claim 1 , wherein said liquid cooling system includes a pressure relief valve. 
     
     
       10. The cabinet according to  claim 1 , wherein said liquid-to-air heat exchanger dissipates heat from said first cooling liquid to an outside environment via perforations in a door of said cabinet. 
     
     
       11. The cabinet according to  claim 10 , wherein said liquid-to-air heat exchanger includes a fan for moving air over or through said liquid-to-air heat exchanger and then out said perforations in said door of said cabinet. 
     
     
       12. A cabinet comprising:
 electronic equipment housed within said cabinet, wherein said electronic equipment is for connection to subscriber lines or provider lines; and 
 a fuel cell power backup system for providing backup power to said electronic equipment in the case of a power failure, wherein said fuel cell power backup system is housed within said cabinet and wherein said fuel cell power backup system includes:
 a fuel cell disposed inside said cabinet for generating the backup power; 
 a liquid cooling system for dissipating heat generated by said fuel cell; and 
 a controller that controls said liquid cooling system for maintaining a predetermined temperature range of a first cooling liquid of said fuel cell, wherein said liquid cooling system is a dual loop liquid cooling system including: 
 
 a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger that receives said first cooling liquid from said fuel cell and dissipates heat from said first cooling liquid to a second cooling liquid in said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger; 
 a liquid-to-air heat exchanger that receives said second cooling liquid from said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and dissipates heat from said second cooling liquid to an outside environment of said cabinet; and 
 a pump that circulates said first cooling liquid between said fuel cell and said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, and said second cooling liquid between said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and said liquid-to-air heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
       13. The cabinet according to  claim 12 , wherein said liquid-to-air heat exchanger includes a fan for moving air over or through said liquid-to-air heat exchanger. 
     
     
       14. The cabinet according to  claim 12 , wherein said pump includes a plurality of redundant pumps. 
     
     
       15. The cabinet according to  claim 12 , wherein said pump includes a first pump that circulates said first cooling liquid between said fuel cell and said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and a second pump that circulates said second cooling liquid between said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and said liquid-to-air heat exchanger. 
     
     
       16. The cabinet according to  claim 12 , wherein said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger includes a heater that heats one of said first cooling liquid and said second cooling liquid to maintain the one of said first cooling liquid and said second cooling liquid at a predetermined temperature. 
     
     
       17. The cabinet according to  claim 12 , wherein said controller selectively turns said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, said liquid-to-air heat exchanger, and said pump ON and OFF based on one or more of a temperature of said first cooling liquid, a temperature of said second cooling liquid, a temperature of an outside environment, and a number of fuel cells. 
     
     
       18. The cabinet according to  claim 12 , further comprising at least one of:
 a first check valve that limits flow of said first cooling liquid to a single direction; and 
 a second check valve that limits flow of said second cooling liquid to a single direction. 
 
     
     
       19. The cabinet according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 at least one manifold that couples said plurality of redundant pumps. 
 
     
     
       20. The cabinet according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein said first pump comprises a plurality of first redundant pumps, and 
 wherein said liquid cooling system includes at least one manifold that couples said plurality of first redundant pumps. 
 
     
     
       21. The cabinet according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein said second pump comprises a plurality of second redundant pumps, and 
 wherein said liquid cooling system includes at least one manifold that couples said plurality of second redundant pumps. 
 
     
     
       22. The cabinet according to  claim 15 , wherein said first cooling liquid is deionized water and said second cooling liquid is glycol water. 
     
     
       23. A cabinet comprising:
 electronic equipment housed within said cabinet, wherein said electronic equipment is connected with provider lines and/or subscriber lines; and 
 a fuel cell power backup system for providing backup power to said electronic equipment in the case of a power failure, wherein said fuel cell power backup system is housed within said cabinet and wherein said fuel cell power backup system includes:
 a fuel cell disposed inside said cabinet for generating the backup power; 
 an internal loop liquid cooling system for dissipating heat in said fuel cell including:
 a first cooling liquid that receives heat from said fuel cell; 
 a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger that receives said first cooling liquid from said fuel cell and dissipates heat from said first cooling liquid to a second cooling liquid in said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger; and 
 a first pump that circulates said first cooling liquid between said fuel cell and said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger; and 
 
 an external loop liquid cooling system for dissipating heat in said second cooling liquid to an environment outside of said cabinet; and 
 a heater that heats one of said first cooling liquid and said second cooling liquid to heat the one of said first cooling liquid and said second cooling liquid up to a predetermined temperature. 
 
 
     
     
       24. The cabinet according to  claim 23 , wherein said external loop liquid cooling system comprises:
 a liquid-to-air heat exchanger that receives said second cooling liquid from said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and dissipates heat from said second cooling liquid to an outside environment of said cabinet; and 
 a second pump that circulates said second liquid between said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and said liquid-to-air heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
       25. The cabinet according to  claim 24 , wherein said liquid-to-air heat exchanger includes a fan for moving air over or through said liquid-to-air heat exchanger. 
     
     
       26. The cabinet according to  claim 23 , wherein said first pump includes a plurality of redundant pumps. 
     
     
       27. The cabinet according to  claim 24 , wherein said second pump includes a plurality of redundant pumps. 
     
     
       28. The cabinet according to  claim 23 , wherein said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger includes said heater. 
     
     
       29. A cabinet comprising:
 electronic equipment housed within said cabinet, wherein said electronic equipment is for connection to subscriber lines or provider lines; and 
 a fuel cell power backup system for providing backup power to said electronic equipment in the case of a power failure, wherein said fuel cell power backup system is housed within said cabinet and wherein said fuel cell power backup system includes:
 a fuel cell disposed inside said cabinet for generating the backup power; 
 a liquid-to-air heat exchanger that dissipates heat to an outside environment of said cabinet; and 
 a liquid cooling system that moves heat from said fuel cell to said liquid-to-air heat exchanger, said liquid cooling system including a pump that circulates one or more cooling liquids between said fuel cell and said liquid-to-air heat exchanger, wherein said liquid cooling system includes a deionizer bypass line that maintains a predetermined resistance level of at least one of the one or more cooling liquids. 
 
 
     
     
       30. The cabinet according to  claim 29 , further comprising:
 a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger interposing said fuel cell and said liquid-to-air heat exchanger, 
 wherein said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger dissipates heat from said fuel cell to said liquid-to-air heat exchanger, and 
 wherein said pump circulates one or more cooling liquids between said fuel cell, said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, and said liquid-to-air heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
       31. The cabinet according to  claim 29 , wherein said liquid-to-air heat exchanger includes a fan for moving air over or through said liquid-to-air heat exchanger. 
     
     
       32. The cabinet according to  claim 29 , wherein said pump includes a plurality of redundant pumps. 
     
     
       33. The cabinet according to  claim 30 , wherein said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger includes a heater that heats said one or more cooling liquids to maintain said one or more cooling liquids at a predetermined temperature. 
     
     
       34. The cabinet according to  claim 29 , wherein said cabinet is mounted to a concrete pad.